More

Calder Heirs Sue His Dealer

"Untitled" (C, red) and "Snow Flurry" (rear, white) by Alexander Calder on display at Christie's in New York May 4, 2012 during a preview of the Post War and Contemporary Art sale to take place on May 8. "Untitled" has an estimate of USD 3 million to 4 million and "Snow Flurry" an estimate of USD 3.5 million to 4.5 million. AFP PHOTO/Stan HONDA (Photo credit should read STAN HONDA/AFP/GettyImages)Alexander Calder Mobile (Stan Honda/AFP/Getty Images)

NEW YORK (AP) _ Heirs of sculptor Alexander Calder are accusing his dealer of swindling his estate out of tens of millions of dollars.

The New York Times reports that a lawsuit filed in New York describes art dealer Klaus G. Perls as a tax cheat who stashed millions in a Swiss bank account. The suit also says Perls sold dozens of fake Calders.

A lawyer for the Perls side declined to comment. But in court papers he describes the lawsuit as a “sham and manufactured claim.”

Calder was one of the most celebrated American artists of the 20th century, best known for hanging mobiles. He died in 1976. He came from a family of artists:

His father was also a sculptor, and his grandfather created a statue of William Penn that’s perched atop Philadelphia’s City Hall.